Collapsible tap



Jul 7, 1925.

1,545,250 W. H. GATES I COLLAPSIBLE TAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed llarch 21, 1922 A TTORNEX July 7, 1925. 1,545,250-

I W.-H. GATES COLLAPSIBLE TAP Filed March 21, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Patented July 7, 1925.

. UNITED STATES WILLIAM HERBERT GATES, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

COLLAPSIBLE TAP.

Application filed March .21,'-1922. '1 Serial No. 545,408, 3 7

description of the invention,'such' as; will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. f it My invention relates to taps of. the collapsible type, and is an improvementon my former Patents No. 1,209,189, of 1916, and No. 1,358,075, of 1920. In said formerpah ents, the threading dies or chasers were provided with; cam grooves registering with cam studs for controlling the radial move- Inentof the chasers. VVhilejthis arrange ment was found suitable for small taps, it did not provide the necessarystrength and stability required for large tapsJYInZt-l-e present invention, the chasers are actuated and controlled by carriers having preferably the same radial movement as the chasers. It further consists in properly. sup; porting the chasers during the threading operation. v r v Q Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same figures of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views; -Figure 1 represents the assembled. tap showing the chasers thrown out in operative position;

Figure is a front elevation of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a similar view with the front plate and chasers removed;

Figure 4 is a detail inside view of the sliding shell carrying the cam studs and trip lever, also cross sectional view of the support for the chasers and its actuating bolt;

Figure 5 is a detail front elevation o the tap body; 7

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the tap body with the sliding shell, chasers and chaser carriers removed, cross sectional view of die support actuating bolt, and springs adapted to be located between the head of the'die body and sliding shell;

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the die body and sliding shell on line 77 of Figure 2',v showing the chasers and their carriers expanded, and the die support in its advanced position to support the outer. ends l of the chasers Figure 8-is a detail view of the chasers and their carriers collapsed, also broken I view'of the retreated chaser support; 4

Figure -9 is a, detail end elevation of two of the chaser carriers, and cross sectional View of the internal chaser support;

Figure 10 is a detail broken elevation of the; tap body and locking bolt, and

Figure 11 is a detail sideelevation-of one of the chaser carriers."

Thebody of the tap comprises the end 1 having the radial slots 2, for the radially operatingj chasers 3, and 4 is an enlarged partor head having the radial slots 5 ope-11 ing intothe radial slots 2 for the radially operating chasercar rie rs' 6, The shank? of the tap body is adapted-to enter rotaport, not shown; 3 v.

table-tool holding turret headorlikesup- 1 The" shell 8' is-slidably mounted 011 1 the shank "7' and the head .4- offthe' tapf body,

and is provided with the-openings 9, Figure' l,'fOI' the reception of thejendszofthe camstuds 10' having the camv projectionsfli "These studs are secured to the shell by the pins 12, Figurei7. The. head il'of the tap body, Figure 5, is provided with the openings 13 in alignmentwithuthe'camstuds 10 andthrough which openings, the studs have a free-longitudinal movement. 5 I I The chaser carriers/6 are mounted,-'fasbeforementioned, in the radiajl slots 5 of the tap head 4, Figures 3 and 7, and each" are provided with the cam grooves 14:, Figure 11, for the reception of the cam projections 11 of the studs 10. The plate 15 forv retaining the carriers in place is secured, Figures 1 and 2, to the head tv by the screws 16. V

The radially operating chasers 3 are each provided with the projections 18 adapted to register, Figures 7 and 8, with the recesses 19 formed in the carriers 6, so that both chasers and carriers will move in unison through their respective slots. The inner face of the shoulders 20 of the chasers rest against the outer surface of the plate 15 to support and insure the dies moving parallel with the, carriers 6. The plate 21, Figure 1, is secured to the die end 1 of the tap body by screws 22,, and the chasers will have a free radial movement between the plates 15 I and 21. V

The springs 23 have one end located in 26, Figure 10, is a locking bolt mounted in theope'ning 27 ofthe head 4, and the open- I sing 28 or the sliding shells, Figure 4. This bolt has the notch 29 adapted'to interlock with the trip lever 30, Figure 4, by means of the spring 31. This trip lever is located in the recess 32, see also Figure 1, and is journaled' on the screw "33 projecting through the flange 34. The locking bolt 26 isadjustetl to bring its notch'29 iii-proper relation with the trip lever 3O, bymeans of the sci 'ew 35, Figure 10. a The-interior supportfor the outer end'oi' the expanded chasers comprise the shank 36 having a longitudinalmovement in the bore 37 of the shank 7 of the tapbody,'Figure 7, and issecured to the sliding shell'8, Figure 4, by the bolts 38. The outer end of said chaser support has the'taper-head39 adaptedto engagewith'thetaper faces 40 of the chasers whensaid chasersare expanded 'or forced outward into threaded position, and

thus provide affillll support therefor. The I intermediate'fluted portion-41 ofthe chaser support provides thenecessa'ry-room, Figure 9, forthe inward'trave'l'ofthechaser'can riers '6 whenthe chaserscare; collapsed or withdrawn." 42 is an elongated opening througlrthe shank 7 ,1 igureG, to afford the necessary movenient of t-h'e bolt38 in connection ;with' the 'recipro'cal travel of the "sliding-shell S. i

In operating: the tap, thesliding shell 8 is interlocked with the tap head 4 either emanually or by bringing the shell forcibly againsta stationary suppo-rt, such, for instance,-as the support 43, Figure 'Y, which support may be connected with the machine operating the: tap, Interlocking the shell will have 1 compressed the springs 23 and advanced the cam studs 10 to r'orceout'the carriers and the chasers, and at the same ure 7. When the tap has traveled its predetermined distance and completed its work, the trip lever 30 will contact with another stationary support, not shown, and release the sliding shell 8 which will be forced back bythestored up tension in the springs 23. Ihis retreat of the shell will cause the chasers and their carriers'to collapse as shown in Figure" 8, and permit'the tap to be withdrawn from the recently threaded work. The externally located means-for locking and unlocking the sliding shell are well known and commonlyemployed inconnection with the heads and collapsible taps.

The principal feature ot the present 'in vent-ion'resides in controlling the movement ofthe chasers through the-medium of car- .riers operating in unison therewith, and while Is howthe carriers actuated-by cam studs carried-by a slidingshell, I'-hold myself at liberty to employ any well known mechanical means for actuatingvsaid car- "riers;

Havingthus described my invention what I claim-is:

A collapsible'tap comprising a body having radial slots, chasers operatively mounted therein,'an enlarged portion orheadhaving radial slots opening into the chaserslots,

chaser carriers mounted in the radial." slots of the head, said carriers having cam grooves, said chasers and carriers operatively connected together, an operating member,-cam studs carried thereby having cam projections registering with the cam grooves of-the carriers a lockingbolt and trip lever, and a centrally located chaser support carried by said operating member. I11 testimony whereof I affiX-my signature.

WILLIAM HERBERT GATES. 

